Midwest Lawmakers Gather for Regional Gun Summit

As the federal government prepares for an administration-wide review of gun policy, Minnesota and its neighbors are also coming together to discuss possible ideas, solutions, and challenges in tackling gun violence. As the Star Tribune reports, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Milwuakee Mayor Tom Barrett will lead a regional gun summit today with fellow policy makers and law enforcement officials from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Midwest. The summit, which was planned more than a year ago, comes after one of the most grim years in our nation’s history of gun violence; the latest atrocity at Sandy Hook Elementary left 20 schoolchildren and six teachers dead in a matter of moments.

In fact, of the 12 deadliest shootings in US history, six have taken place since 2007. While our nation has been ensconced in a heated debate by both sides of the gun control issue, lawmakers are looking for common ground to discuss what can be done to end this legacy of violence. As Slate reports, Vice President Joe Biden echoes a commitment to finding practical solutions to this devastating problem: “we are not going to get caught up in the notion that unless we can do everything, we’re going to do nothing,” he said. The summit takes place on the same day Biden is scheduled to meet with the National Rifle Association.